


What Dreams May Come

by PhantomWriterAnon



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Broken Bones, Canon-Typical Violence, Caretaking, Dom/sub, Dominant Erwin Smith, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Grumpy Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Insecure Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), M/M, Massage, Sub Drop, Submissive Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Tea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-07-06
Packaged: 2018-11-28 09:14:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11414808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomWriterAnon/pseuds/PhantomWriterAnon
Summary: It's only been two years since Isabel and Furlan were killed, and for Levi, the wounds are still fresh. So when he wakes up, alone and unable to find Erwin thanks to a slow to heal compound fracture in his right femur, the resulting panic attack sends him into a nasty drop.





	What Dreams May Come

Levi awoke, his breath labored, his body drenched in sweat, his mind unable to comprehend beyond the  _pain_ that flooded his system, alone. 

He shivered, unbearably cold despite the small mountain of blankets layered atop his small frame. And yet, at the same time, the blankets seemed to smother him, suffocating him within an inescapable cocoon. Miserably, he twisted left and right, unable to free himself from his cloth prison. 

Where the hell was Erwin? Traces of the older man's scent still lingered in the bed clothes, though his side of the bed had long since gone cold. Looking over at his side of the bed - the pillow smooth, without so much as a dent to indicate that a head had once rested there, the blankets smoothed and tucked underneath the mattress - caused a new bout of anxiety to surface within the captain. What if... What if he was hurt? What if he had grown tired of putting up with Levi's shit and just  _left_?

A sharp stab of pain washed over him, and every muscle in his body immediately tensed as he was forcefully reminded of why he shouldn't be moving around so fitfully. He bit down on his knuckle to stifle the startled exclamation of pain, tears budding in the corners of his steel-blue eyes as his right leg  _throbbed_. It had been a little less than a week since the compound fracture in his femur had been set and splinted. He needed to be more careful if he wanted it to heal correctly, but...

Why had Erwin left him? Had Levi done something to upset the commander? He tried to think, to remember - but he found himself unable to process such a complex train of thought amidst the terrible sea of emotions that were slowly dragging him under. He could taste bile as it rose in the back of his throat -,

The door to the commander's quarters creaked open and Erwin shuffled inside, balancing a tea kettle filled with boiling water and two china cups on saucers. His eyes widened when he noticed that his lover was very much awake and clearly in distress, "Levi! I wasn't expecting you to be awake so soon after -,"

Levi thought that he would be relieved at the sight of his lover, but the crippling fear was almost immediately replaced with anxiousness. How could he ever have thought that Erwin would  _leave_ him? And... what would Erwin think if he knew? Would he  _really_ leave this time? The anxiety Erwin's sudden appearance stirred within him was overwhelming, and all at once he found himself weakly struggling to reach the trash can just beside the bed. 

There was a sharp  _clack_ as the china was set on Erwin's bedside table, before the commander grabbed the trash can and eased his lover over so that his head was positioned over the opening. And just in time - Levi lost the battle with his stomach as he violently revisted what little he'd consumed in the last twenty-four hours. "Oh, Levi..."

Once finished, the raven-haired man flopped back against the pillows listlessly. Another shiver chased through his body. "I don't need you to baby me." He whispered hoarsely.

"I should never have left your side." Erwin muttered, completely ignoring the poorly concealed threat in Levi's tone. "I just... You hadn't had anything to eat or drink in the last two days, and you need to keep your strength up if you want that wound to heal properly. You were sleeping so peacefully, I didn't even think I'd be missed."

"I... I'd thought that..." Levi didn't want to finish that sentence. Vivid images flashed through his mind, memories that he'd long since thought to be buried. Isabel's severed head, Farlan's mutilated body... His steel-blue eyes were glazed over, and he'd begun to sweat again. "Couldn't save them... Can't lose you... Too weak..."

"Levi!" The younger's body slouched to the side. He was still conscious, but lost deep in the recess of his own mind. "Shit."

He pressed a hand to the smaller man's forehead, wincing at how hot the skin was. Frantically, he tore the blankets off of Levi's trembling body and began to strip him of his pajamas. The simple white fabric was practically gray with sweat, and Erwin couldn't help but silently berate himself for having left his lover's side for even a moment. 

With great care, he lifted the smaller man out of bed and carried him into the adjoining bathroom, making sure to keep his broken leg as stable as possible. Once inside, he shut and locked the door behind him. It wouldn't do for them to be disturbed with Levi so far gone - he didn't think that the smaller man would ever forgive him if he allowed one of the others to see him in such a compromised state. 

Erwin tried to set Levi down on the toilet so that he could start the water running, but the smaller man began to claw at his clothing and  _keen_. Levi was fucking  _keening_. This was more serious than he'd originally thought, and he felt another stab of regret ripple through him. He wasn't completely insensitive to Levi's emotional turmoil. It hadn't been but two years since Isabel and Furlan had died, and after the battle they'd just weathered...

No matter how skilled a fighter Levi was, or how quickly he'd risen through the ranks of the Scouts, he was still a young man who had been violently ripped away from everything he'd ever known... He and Levi had been separated during their last mission and Levi hadn't rested until they'd been reunited at headquarters almost two days later.

"Levi... Levi!" Gently, he placed a hand over Levi's trembling fists. He grabbed his hands as tightly as he could, trying for a brief moment to pry them from his clothing. When he realized this wouldn't work, he resorted to merely holding the younger's hands. "Levi, darling... I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. I'm here..."

"You said you wouldn't leave... It hurts..." Levi mumbled incoherently. "Don't leave me... Can't lose..."

"Shh..." He shifted Levi in his arms to free up his right arm, and reached out to start the water. He added some of the lightly scented bath oils that he knew Levi liked, before turning them around and reaching into the medicine cabinet to prep his pain medicine. "I'm sorry that you woke up by yourself, darling. But I'm not gonna leave you again."

He filled the dropper with a whitish liquid, and pressed it to his lover's lips. Levi wasn't good with pills on the best of days, but during his drops Erwin wasn't about to take any chances. As soon as Levi felt the glass against his lips, he started to squirm, "No - don't need the dropper. Not a baby... Don't treat me like..."

Just a few seconds later, however, his mouth latched on and he swallowed down the dosage of medicine. "That's a good boy. You're being so good for me, darling."

Once the tub was full, he turned the water off and knelt down beside it. He tried to deposit Levi in the tub, but the younger wouldn't have it. All his squirming was beginning to aggravate his wounded leg, and Erwin could see blood seeping through the bandages. With a sigh, he turned them both around and sat down in the tub with Levi, making sure to prop his injured leg up out of the water. He kissed the crown of Levi's head, before wetting a washcloth and beginning to clean off Levi's body. 

While it was often difficult for Levi to accept affection while he was in a normal frame of mind, Erwin had found that the best way to bring him out of his drop was to shower him with it. Tender kisses, bathing together, cuddling, making him as much tea as he could drink...

Erwin planted open-mouthed kisses over every inch of Levi's skin that he could comfortably reach, scrubbing the wash cloth over his skin as harshly as he dared. He knew that Levi would be furious with him if he didn't perform a thorough cleaning. As he was rinsing him off, he felt Levi begin to stir against him. He was making small, vaguely coherent noises. Some of the light was coming back into his eyes, and Erwin felt some of the tightness in his chest release. 

Once he was finished bathing his lover, he sat there for a few moments simply holding him. He ran his hands up and down the smaller man's sides, working to bring their breathing into sync. As time went on, Levi began to relax against him. The captain was able to speak in full sentences, and was able to meet the commander's eyes. Another few moments passed, and Levi was tapping on Erwin's chest to get the bigger man's attention. 

Levi's brows knitted together, "Why did you get in the tub with all your clothes on?" He asked weakly. 

"You needed me to, and so I did." Erwin said with a shrug. "Are you feeling better?"

"I'm fine." Levi said, not that either really believed it. "The water's just getting cold, is all."

Erwin laughed softly. "Well then, why don't we move this into the other room? I boiled some water for tea earlier... I'm pretty sure that the water is still warm." Carefully, he lifted Levi out of the tub and set him on the toilet, before pulling the plug and rising to his feet himself. 

"You're going to take those clothes off before you leave this bathroom." Levi said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Do you know how much of a mess you'll make, tracking water into your quarters? You'll ruin the hardwood flooring." 

Erwin complied without complaint, mumbling, "You must be feeling better if you're already barking orders at your superior officer."

"Please, we both know who wears the pants in this relationship."

Now dressed in only a towel, Erwin dried Levi off before scooping the raven into his arms and carrying him into his bedroom. "You certainly are a power bottom."

Levi scowled, "I hope you realize that I'm only allowing you to carry me to bolster your ego."

"Of course. It totally isn't because if you put any pressure on your right leg, the bone will slide out of place and you'll run the risk of bleeding out." Erwin said, his tone matter-of-fact. Setting his smaller lover down on the bed, he began to re-dress Levi's wounded leg. "Are we going to talk about this?"

Levi was silent, so Erwin took that as a 'no'. After ensuring that Levi was comfortable, he fixed him a lukewarm cup of tea. The captain took several sips, his narrow eyes focused on a neutral point on the ceiling as Erwin flitted around making the bedroom liveable once again. He'd already changed the sheets (when he'd gotten the chance to do so, Levi hadn't the slightest, but he was grateful not to be lying in a pool of his own sweat), and was now tossing some cooler blankets on the bed. 

It was only after Erwin had climbed into bed beside him, draping an arm over his shoulders and taking a sip of his chamomille tea, that Levi whispered, "You know I love you, right?" Erwin froze, before running his fingers through Levi's short-cropped hair. 

"Of course I know that, darling. I love you too." He replied softly. "And I am so sorry about what happened earlier. There won't be a next time to worry about. Until you're healed, I won't leave your side. And if I have to, I will make sure you know where I am at all times. No matter what. Okay?"

"I'm not some little brat with abandonment issues. I don't need to -," Levi fell silent for a moment, "Just... say you won't leave me, okay?"

"As long as I can help it... I will never leave you. This... This is forever."

Levi rolled his eyes, "I didn't ask you to give me a cavity, dumbass."

Erwin laughed so hard that he almost dropped his tea, "Glad to see that you're feeling better, darling."


End file.
